Automatic shower head



Aug' 9, 1950 J. FRASER AUTOMATIC sHowER HEAD Filed Feb. 2o. 195e FIQ FIG. I.

8' IIIIII Ilm-Imm IIIIIIIHIIIH INVENTOR s JAMES FRASER ATTORNEY AUTOMATIC SHOWER HEADv James Fraser, Wilmington, Del., assgnor to v The Speakman Company The'present invention relates .to shower-.heads foruse United States i in shower baths,V and more in particular to new and irn-A k i proved shower heads which are automatically self-clean# ingin action. Y 1,

Heretofore many shower heads have been ,provided with a manually operated handle which is connected to an adjustable water dispensing disk so-that the disk may be raised or lowered to produce a spray and to,v clean the head when itis no longer being used.

Certain designs have incorporated a movable shower head so 4as to produce .a self-cleaning head, tl 1at is one in which vthe spray producing device will move' when the water pressure drops, thus cleaning the head automatically, but most of these devices have the shower producing skirt in the interior part 'of said shower head `and force the same downwardly with increased water pressure into v l Patented Aug.- v9, 196.0

ICC f a casing with a water supply inlet 11 in the upper end thereof having a knurled outer surface |12 and a threaded inner surface to facilitate connection to the source of supply, usually through a ball joint (not shown). casing has a disk 13 shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, mounted by means of screw threads V28 'in the lower end thereof. Recesses 14, 14 to receive a wrench facilitate the mount` ing of thisdiskV withinthe casing 10. This disk has a central opening 15 shown in Fig. 3 through which operates `a piston 16, more clearly illustratedin Fig. 7. This piston has an enlarged machined. portion 17, formed thereon which acts as a valve member and contacts the machined surface 29, shown in Fig. 6 of the disk 13 to form a closure when the pistonis in the position shown in Figs 4 and 5. This prevents the emission of water from the shower head. vThe piston 16 has a ange 18 mounted on the upper'end thereof which iits within a cylinder 19 and is heldin water-tight engagement therewith by the packingv member 20. Mounted between the piston and the head of the cylinder is a spring member 21 forcing the piston downwardly so as to force the enlarged portion contact with the restricting disk acrossfthe opening there- The present invention has for its object a shower head having the disk outside of the head and below ltheskirt and so arranged as to be mounted on a movable piston which is automatically raised by the water pressure so as to place the disk against the skirt in the shower producing posi-tion. This avoids the diiculties encountered in another type of shower head commonly in use which is manually adjusted by screwing the disk up against the skirt.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shower head that is self-cleaning, automatic in operation and has the skirt below the disk so as to allow visual determination of the operation thereof.

The' various features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out' with particularity in the lclaims annexed hereto and forming part of this application. For a better understanding of the invention its advantages and specific objects obtained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which have been illustrated a perferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a -top fragmentary view of a shower head embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a-side view of the shower head shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the shower head.

Fig. 4 is a view, partially in section, through the shower head showing the rst embodiment of this invention.

Fig. Slis a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 4, showing the piston in the closed position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view lthrough a shower head embodying the second modification of this invention.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 8, showing the piston in the closed position.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive illustrate the iirst embodiment of this invention. The shower head has of the. piston into contact'with the disk and maintain the assembly in'water-tight engagement. -In the lower part of the cylinder are the openings 22, 22 forming a water passage between the space between the casing 10 and the i3 cylinder 119 and allowing the water under pressure to ilow inn-below the flange 18. .Mounted on the lower end of the piston by means of the screw 23 is a skirt 24 of smaller diameter than the'ilange 18. 'Ihis skirt .is provided` withl an annular series of grooves 25 or jet dis# charge passages as shown in Fig..3. The screw 23 has the threaded portion 30 on the upper end thereof which is received by the thread 31 in the piston 16 so as to hold the skirt 24 in position and has a vent 26 through the center of the screw and the center of the piston which vents the portion -of the cylinder above the flange 18.

The modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is similar in construction to that shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive except that there is no spring between the ange on the piston and the top of the cylinder. There is a weight shown in Figs. 8 and 9 on top of this piston, which forces this piston downwardly as shown in Fig. 8 so as to close the enlarged portion of the piston into water-tight engageient with the machined edge of the disk 13, as shown in In operation the water is admitted through the water supply inlet 11 and ilows around the cylinder 19 through the openings 22 and exerts a pressure against the lower part of the ilange 18 which pressure is exerted against the spring 21. When the pressure has increased to the point that it exceeds the pressure of the spring 21 the piston rises and allows the water to ilow underneath the enlarged portion |17 and through the opening 15 and through the depressed openings 32 in the, side of the piston 16, which are not milled as high as the enlarged portion 17. This also brings the skirt 24 into engagement with the side of the disk 13 and allows the water to ilow through the jet grooves 25, shown in Fig. 3, thereby producing a spray, and said skirt will remain in this position as long as the water pressure exceeds the spring pressure. These jet openings gradually become clogged with dirt and other deposits of lime, shale, etc. When the water pressure is shut off this allows the spring to force the piston downwardly and opens up the jet openings so that they are automatically cleaned of this deposit. The disk on the lower end of the piston moves downwardly on opening and allows the operator to visually determine if the shower head is functioning properly. It also allows the operator to manually clwn the jet opening if necessary. This device also has the advantage of the piston seating against the disk 13 when the piston is in the closed position and prevents the slow leakage of the water from the shower head.

The modification shown in lFigs. 8 land l9 operates in the same manner as described above except that the piston is held in theopen position by the weight 27, yas shown in Fig. 8, on-tbe top end of the piston which biasing action `has to be overcome by the water pressure against the ange 178 inorder to raise the piston withinr the cylinder 19, as 4shown in Fig. 9.

The invention having ybeen described Wit-h specific details including two modifications thereof it is understood that the same is not to be limited thereby las changes may be made in the arrangements and proportions of the parts and elements and that equivalents may be substituted therefor, Aall without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asy set forth -in the appended claims.

What is claimed'is:

1. In a self-cleaning shower head, la casing having a Water supply inlet and outlet therefor, a disk arranged across the outlet having a central opening therein, a movable piston arranged Awithin this opening, said piston having a skirt on the lower end thereof, the upper end of said piston fitting within a cylinder :and having biasing means within the cylinder above the piston, said cylinder being within said casing, vented through the piston, said piston having valve means thereon lwhich contacts the upper surface of said disk when in the closed positionA andthe skirt being beyond the disk when in the olosed position, said piston being forced upwardly by the llow off water acting against biasing means within the cylinder and forcing the skirt into contact with the disk to produce shower producing sprays.

2. In a self cleaning shower head, acasing having a water supply inlet and outlet therefor, Ia disk arranged' across the outlet having la central opening therein, `a mo vable piston arranged within this opening, said piston having `a skirt on the lower end thereof, the upper' endof said piston tting within a cylinder [and having biasing means within the cylinder above the piston, said cylinder being within said casing vented through the piston, said .piston having valve means thereon which contacts the upper surface of said disk rwhen in the closed position and the skirt being beyond the ydisk when in the closed position, said piston being. forced upwardly by theow orwater acting against spring biasing means within the cylinder and forcing the skirt into'contact 'with the disk to produce shower producing sprays. Y

3. In a self-oleanin-g shower head, a casing having a water supply inlet and outlet therefor, a disk arranged across the outlet having -a central opening therein, la movable piston 'arranged Within this opening, said piston having a skirt on the lower end thereof, the upper end off said piston fitting within a cylinder and having biasing means within the cylinder above the piston, said cylinder being within said casing vented through the piston, said piston having valve means thereonwhioh contacts-the upper sur- 'face of said `disk when in the closed position land the skirt being beyond the disk vlwhen* in the closed position, said piston beingfoiiced upwardlyy by the flow of water acting against Weight biasing means within the cylinder and forcing the skirt into contact 'with thedisk to produce shower producing. sprays.,

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,996,545 Knowlton Alpr. 2, 1935 2,404,081 Mock et 'al July 16, 1946 2,583,232 Russell Jan. Z2, 1952 

